Ordinance route amounts to anti-democratic exercise: CPI-M

Opposing the ordinance route for anti-graft bills, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat on Sunday wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee saying it amounted to an anti-democratic and partisan exercise.

Karat’s letter came hours before the Union cabinet took up a cluster of bills. By evening, government sources said the list had been heavily truncated.

"To promulgate ordinances to suit the ruling party's interests after Parliament has been adjourned on the eve of election announcement, will amount to a blatantly anti- democratic and partisan exercise," Karat wrote in his letter.

"I would like to register the strong opposition of our party to such a move," he said.

Karat called the government’s effort to amend the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act to create Telangana to give Seemandhra a special status “a shocking step”. “This is unconstitutional and makes a mockery of Parliament," he said.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die last week after the last session of the 15th Lok Sabha.

"As the president, with the experience and wisdom of having dealt with constitutional and democratic procedures over long years in public life, I am sure you will not countenance any short-sighted and partisan measure which bypasses constitutional and democratic procedures," Karat said.